J.MCLAUGHLIN APPOINTS MARY ELLEN COYNE CEO

by Stephen Garner Jul 26, 2016
J.McLaughlin San Marino, CA Boutique.
J.McLaughlin San Marino, CA Boutique.

Mary Ellen Coyne has been named CEO of American lifestyle brand J.McLaughlin. In her role as CEO, Coyne will be responsible for leading the overall direction of J.McLaughlin and will oversee all aspects of strategy and operations including, merchandising, product development, marketing, brand development as well as continued retail and e-commerce growth. Kevin McLaughlin, chief creative officer and co-founder of the brand will continue to oversee all product design reporting to Coyne.

Coyne joins J.McLaughlin after spending nineteen years at Ralph Lauren, having most recently served as the chief merchandising officer of the Polo women’s and children’s divisions. Prior to her role at Ralph Lauren she held merchandising positions at Victoria’s Secret, The Gap and Ann Taylor and began her career in the Macy’s Training Program.

“The spirit with which this brand was founded is incredibly relevant today,” said Coyne. “I see significant opportunities to build on the core product assortment and add new categories. I am thrilled to be joining the J.McLaughlin team and plan to leverage the strength of the brand to accelerate the company’s growth across all channels of distribution, by both increasing the current retail footprint and investing in the company’s direct marketing efforts.”

McLaughlin added: “Mary Ellen is a natural fit. In many ways she personifies the J.McLaughlin brand and embodies our core customer and values. This coupled with her considerable knowledge of the retail industry made her our first choice to lead J.McLaughlin into the next chapter of growth.”

Currently, the company operates 109 retail locations along the Eastern seaboard, Florida, Midwest, Texas and California and has a rapidly growing e-commerce business through www.jmclaughlin.com. The brand is known for its exemplary customer service and distinctive store environments. In November 2015, Brentwood Associates, a leading consumer-focused private equity investment firm, acquired a majority stake in J.McLaughlin.